Hello! New member here.
I am starting this thread for questions related to my 225 engine. A little background...
I picked up this beautiful 67 Dodge A-108 van last year. It has a 225 and a A845(three speed) manual transmission.





With a little elbow grease I got rid of most of the crud and rust stains...





I got it running by just rebuilding the Holley carb and replacing the fuel pump. The van had been sitting since late 2000. The radiator was still full of old anti-freeze! When it started, the choke was on and I couldn't reach the linkage to cut it off until I climbed in the back of the van. This was the first attempt at starting the engine. I cut the choke off at 3:40...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/x_8dmXhtNEo

and a few minutes later...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/H1C9pxEAV5o

I'd have rather not ran the engine at that high of rpms for the first time in 20 years but it is what it is. The engine idled smoothly after I shut the choke off.
Before removing the radiator to start work on the interior and access the front of the engine, I poured in some block cleaner and ran the engine for an hour. It purred like a kitten the entire time.
Later, I pulled the water pump and timing chain cover expecting the chain to be stretched, which it was.





Seeing how much crud had built up on the inside, I decided to remove the oil pan. It had large sand particle sized crusty chunks of old dried up oil. If I had known that I would have never started the engine before cleaning it up inside!



I didn't get any photos of the oil pan or pickup tube but the pickup was full of that stuff! Here's what the cam and inside of the engine looks like. The cam looks a little rough...







Then I removed the valve cover. The rocker arms looked somewhat dry and filthy so I removed the shaft and soaked the parts...for about a month!



I made a soaking pan for the shaft with aluminum foil. The rockers dribble tubes were all completely plugged up! I soaked them for a few days, then tried to clean them. No dice. I wound up soaking them for over a month while attacking the rockers every few days with multiple diameter guitar strings. It was a tedious job to say the least, but I got both passages open!



The head and rocker valley were crusted up with old oil...(EDIT: I took the tubes off for easier access to the lifter valley)







That's nasty!
I scraped off as much as I could. I then used a spray bottle full of Kerosene, A squeeze bottle full of kerosene, a stiff brush, a looong flat screwdriver and compressed air to clean up the area. With the oil pan off all the pieces I'd broken up to a smaller diameter than the rocker valley drain holes fell to the catch pan on the ground. Some of it I sucked up with a small hand air pump hose stuck inside a larger shop vac hose(so I could get down to the lifters). That sort of worked but kept clogging up the small hose. I'd have to pull the hose out and reinsert it into the shop vac hose to open the passage. It was a very messy job that I hope to never repeat anytime soon!







Ah, much better!

I tried matching the yellow paint on the block but the closest I could get was Daytona Yellow...



I have installed Fumoto valves on the last three vehicles I've owned. I added one to the oil pan...



Painted all the bolts...



I'm in the process now of putting it all back together. I might have a few(a hundred(thousands?)) questions.

To be continued...

Almost forgot, I sent my damper out to Cali to Damper Dudes.

https://www.damperdudes.net/

They didn't have a core so I had to send them mine. I pulled one off a slant six(in another A100 van) in a local junkyard. They bought that one from me, reducing that core charge off my fee!
Great guy, good price and a quick turnaround!





I would definitely use them again!

Hello and welcome. Was your motor missing the spark plug tubes?
There are 6 aluminum tubes that go into the head to seal from oil leaks and protect the plugs and wires.
Make sure you put them back or find some.
Good luck with your van!

_________________
Hyper_pak

Distributors:
First thing I noticed was vertical play in the shaft...










There is minor horizontal play so I'm not concerned about it but the vertical play has me scratching my head. I pulled the distributor in the junkyard van and there is no vertical(or horizontal play). The plastic gear on mine is sitting lower on the shaft then the junkyard unit. Is that why the directions for a new gear involve raising the gear above the old hole(can't remember the distance) and drilling a new hole in the shaft?

I disassembled the distributor to clean...



...and broke one of the tabs off the spring clip that holds the two piece of the breaker plate together. I might still work but since I have a parts distributor, I'll be scavenging parts off of it.
I've been doing a little reading on governor springs(very little). If I could give the engine a little extra oomph, would it be a good or bad idea to use the light weight spring off the junkyard unit with the light spring off mine(ditching the heavy spring) without spot welding the governors openings?

This cap was on the junkyard unit. I've never seen a cap with such wide contacts before!

Thank you for the welcome!

Nope, I removed them out for easier access to clean the lifter valley. I've edited my post to include that bit of info.There's no way I could have cleaned that up that well with them in the way. If I could have cleaned the area without the chance of anything getting in the cylinders I would have removed the spark plugs too.

Also, I've found a few things with this van that makes me shake my head in disbelief. The PO had always taken it to a mechanic. If the PO had known what I've found they'd probably punch the guy in the nose!
The latest was this...



My distributor had two thick O rings to seal around the top of the block and the small one around the shaft. The junkyard unit has one big and one small.
The distributors are made with a machined recess for a small diameter O ring to seal in the block, around the shaft. My FSM calls for one O ring for the distributor...that looks thicker than that small one.
I'm assuming the two different size O rings are needed?

Funny, the Fel-Pro engine gasket set I bought has no small O ring but does have one that looks like the larger one. None of the auto parts places had one. I found one at the local True Value hardware store. About 10% of the parts I've bought for this van project have come from them!

That is a fun project, keep posting your progress.

I wonder why Chrysler, GM and Ford all went with the mid engine, front wheels pulled back design on their 1st generation light vans as that is much different from the cars and trucks of that era.
Also, to pull the engine, do you go in through the side door with an engine hoist or does the engine drop out from the bottom?

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

That van cleaned up pretty well - looks like you used a little Rust-Ez and an insane amount of luck!

(Sorry, when the van even matches the color scheme, I figure a "Cars" joke is mandatory.)

Good luck with getting the engine overhauled; it's great to see one more slant being put back on the road.

_________________
Matt Cramer
1966 Dodge Dart turbo / EFI project

Ford started making their van in 1961. Chevy and Dodge started theirs in 1964, most likely following Ford's in cab design. Dodge boasted interior length to the backs of the seats and all the way up to the dash as the passenger seat was an option for a few years. Lol..
In the long wheel base like I have(108"), you use the passenger door. For the 90" base model the side door was preferred. I've heard of people taking them out the bottom too.

Lol, good one!

In not overhauling it. In just cleaning the inside of the engine and replacing as few parts as necessary. Its not going to be on the road anytime soon. I just want a ruining engine so I came move it when necessary. I'm interested in seeing how long it will continue running. It was literally a "ran when parked" situation. The PO parked 20 years ago because it because it was nickel and diming him to death. He was only keeping it for sentimental reasons. His dad had bought it new in 67 and had those racks made and installed and the white paint applied four days later.

I know all about "project creep", but I sure would spend the money for a timing set, or at least a chain.
Looking at the pics, that chain is so loose, it looks like it was rubbing on the timing cover.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Replacing the chain and sprockets was the reason I started taking the engine covers off.

I'm finally getting the engine back together. Does anyone have a link where I can find a Woodruff key for the crank. I destroyed mine taking it out and can't find one long enough. I need a 1 3/8" x 3/16".
Thanks for any help!

Those Keys Might be the same as B/ RB / LA Engines.

I don't know for sure but if they are then...

https://www.manciniracing.com/slan6brbandh1.html

According to the above Linky ↑↑↑↑ they are the same.
Here's another one.↓↓↓↓
https://www.ebay.com/itm/BBM-Big-Block- ... SwUKxYdq0N

Greg

_________________
http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack